A glimpse into the cultural practices and land-based traditions of tribal communities in WOTR’s project regions.
A Better Tomorrow
Stories, Practices, and Solutions
The title ‘Mahila Pravartak’ may sound official, but it captures something far more powerful: a woman changemaker. These women are the backbone of WOTR’s community health efforts—moving door-to-door, to bring real transformation to the communities they serve.
With every shared pot of water, with every community meeting, with every onion harvested, Chaaya weaves a future for Mendhwan where water is a source of life, not a struggle for it.
Bireng Soy overcame obstacles to forge a path toward independence and empowerment.
The community shares firsthand experiences of resilience, innovation, and growth with WOTR
Once abused and estranged, Ujwala now runs her own enterprise—emerging stronger than ever. Read her inspiring story of grit, determination and self-reliance.
Through WOTR’s watershed project, Beni Prasad Jhariya found his calling. He took on the role of a Wasundhara Sevak, inspiring his community to adopt sustainable farming and water conservation practices.
Eight years ago, Vidya Chavan’s husband went for a walk, and never returned. Broken by years of unproductive agriculture, made worse due to unpredictable weather patterns, he decided to end his life, leaving the responsibilities of running the five member household to his wife. Determined to provide for her three daughters, she started rebuilding her life.
In the face of climate change challenges, farmers in Appireddypally, Telangana, were struggling with dwindling yields and migration. The Rural Livelihoods Project by Axis Bank Foundation and WOTR brought hope through the formation of a Mutual Aided Cooperative Society (MACS). Despite initial hesitation, farmers united to establish the ‘Sri Jeevanadhara Paraspara Rythu Sahakara Sangam Limited’ MACS.
Rural communities in Jharkhand and Telangana, struggling to sustain their livelihoods, find hope through the Sustainable Livelihoods Programme, supported by Axis Bank Foundation. With diversified income streams, these communities now thrive, rewriting their stories of resilience and progress.
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Innovation once drove survival and growth. Now, amid climate stress and inequality, it must shift toward impact, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
WOTR’s Annual Report 2024-25, Roots & Resilience, highlights rural resilience through science, technology, and tradition.
Across India, disasters are no longer singular events but a polycrisis—where climate extremes, ecological degradation, water stress, and livelihood insecurity interact and amplify one another
When we mix weather,climate and climate change terms together, it can lead to confusion about what actually caused an event, who is responsible, and what actions are most effective
Explore WOTR’s 13-year journey across villages in Odisha, reaching over one lakh people through community-led watershed and livelihood interventions.
The Global South is being asked to shoulder the world’s nature and climate ambitions while global finance continues to move decisively in the opposite direction.
Read a collection blogs which brings together five stories from WOTR’s blog, shaped by the everyday lives, struggles, and choices of people in rural India. Told from the ground up, these pieces reflect moments of resilience, learning, and collective effort around water, livelihoods, and social change.
A water storage capacity of 2.5 million litres was created, bringing 64.25 acres of barren land back under cultivation while reducing soil erosion and improving groundwater recharge.